Chapter 40: Jade Waters

I splashed some water to my face. Again. Probably for the tenth time. I just couldn't convince myself that I wasn't dreaming since the situation I was in was… weird, to say the least.

The jade green waters of the lake were crystal clear. I could see the fish swimming with ease. Of course, the same could be said for Delthur as he floated above the water, spear in hand. He readied his spear and skewered a fish. A calm, cool breeze carried the scent of hyacinth towards me. I looked behind me to see Vixia standing by the campfire. She was looking far away, towards the north. As I watched, she sighed and stretched.

We were in the middle of the forest, not too far away from where I killed the phoenix. I could just barely see the summit in the distance, where Rina, Alex and I killed the overgrown eagle. It was so far away; it'd probably take days to go back. If I ever could, I thought as I glanced at the chain locked around my right wrist.

Of course I wasn't camping with two demons because I wanted to. They hadn't given me much choice on the matter. With a sigh, I got up on my feet. I still felt somewhat sick. I approached the camp and after a moment's hesitation, sat down by a tree and leaned my back on it.

I was exhausted. My muscles still ached from the strain of that last battle. I wished this were a dream, that I'd soon wake up to find myself in my room at the inn.

"You should rest." Vixia's soft voice sounded. She smiled as her steps brought her closer to me. I felt my whole body tense up. This woman could kill me with ease. She chuckled and shook her head. "I told you before; if I wanted to kill you, I'd done so the day we met." She reached down and extended her hand towards me. I quickly backed off.

"Why are you keeping me alive? What do you want from me?" I glared at her. She paused then turned to face the gentle breeze.

"Something you aren't capable of just yet." The wind carried her whisper to me as she extended her wings and leapt up to the air. With a graceful turn, she flew towards her companion. I shook my head. Her words made no sense.

I wasn't left alone for long as they both returned a short while later. Delthur carried several large fish while Vixia had a bright coloured fruit in her hands. At first glance, it looked like an apple. I was pretty sure it wasn't an apple though.

"Eat." She said as she gave it to me. "You've exhausted yourself." She glanced at the fish. "I don't think you can eat any animals without throwing up right now."

She wasn't wrong. I was still shaken up by the death of the phoenix. Just thinking about it made me feel sick. I nodded. "Thanks," I mumbled as I bit into the fruit. I hadn't realised how hungry I was until I tasted the sweet, delicious flavour. It was unlike anything I'd tasted before.

Vixia chuckled as I finished eating the fruit. For its size, it was surprisingly nourishing.

"You should sleep." Delthur said, the stopped to clear his throat. He glanced at Vixia, who nodded. I hesitated. I didn't think I could sleep with these two here.

"You took the soul of a creature much more powerful than you. It'll take a toll on you." She said with a sigh.

"What do you mean?" I asked, with some confusion in my voice. The horned lion and the oversized eagle were also much stronger than me. I hadn't suffered anything from absorbing their souls.

"The phoenix is a legendary creature." Vixia explained with a soft voice. "It's not mortal, the only thing that can kill it is to sever the connection of its soul with its body. The only ones who can do that are Necromancers and the Keeper of Souls. You." I averted my eyes as soon as our gazes met. I didn't want to lose myself in those bright purple eyes.

"I didn't intend to kill it." I said quietly. "You forced me to."

"It was too good a chance to pass up." She said with a chuckle. "Besides, someone had to stop it, or it'd never stop going after your friend."

I flinched. "What?"

"Rohir's paladin." Delthur said with a flat voice. "He broke his oath. He did not extract the vengeance he swore to in the name of his so called 'god'." He coughed and cleared his throat.

"Indeed," Vixia took over as she shot a look of pity and sadness towards her companion. "Rohir is a vindictive old man. He probably got annoyed that the paladin borrowed some of his power and never gave anything back. I bet he cursed the poor phoenix out of spite too." She clenched her fists. "I'd love to cut him into pieces and reduce him to ashes." Purple flames danced on her as she spoke.

"My Lady, please calm down." Delthur said with a worried tone, though he also seemed somewhat annoyed, bothered even, by the recent events.

"Sorry," Vixia said with a bitter smile. Then, she turned to look at me. "That phoenix was still young. It could have lived for all eternity if this hadn't happened." She gestured towards the sky. "Once cursed, it'd never be free of Rohir's will. We couldn't allow that old idiot to have such a powerful servant." She sighed and looked north. " And we couldn't let the poor thing suffer for the rest of its life."

With a serious look on her face, she approached me. I tried to back off, but she grabbed my wrist before I could. "But phoenixes don't die. Their souls cannot be destroyed. The Ereth may have brought you here to kill us," She said with a wicked smile, "But they clearly don't know what you are capable of. If they knew, Rohir would have never allowed you to come across a phoenix."

I pulled my hand away and with the clatter of chains, quickly got back on my feet and backed off. What was she talking about? "What do you mean? What does the god of vengeance have to do with the Ereth? I-"

"That's enough," She cut me off. "You need to rest, or you will not survive what comes next." Her voice carried her magic to me. I tried to avert my gaze, but I was captivated by those glowing purple eyes. My eyelids got heavier as darkness embraced me. I felt a pair of cold hands slow my fall.